"And Joseph was brought down to Egypt;
and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian,
bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down
thither. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him
overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And
it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his
house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's
house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that
he had in the house, and in the field. And he left all that he had in
Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did
eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured" (Genesis
39:1-6).
God is with us always, even unto the end of the world. As it is written, "LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD." Beloved, If you won't remember anything else remember that GOD IS WITH YOU ALWAYS. When Jesus says, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, He means it. He is God who is a "being with." He is with us and we are with him; He is within us and we are within Him: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, always, until the end of the age. Our God is not a God who is far away, sitting on a throne in heaven somewhere; our God is a God with us always.
Over and over with each of the main characters of the first book of the Bible, God sets forth His providential control, His foreknowledge and His predestination of everything. God walks us step by step through the doctrine of providence. He shows how it relates to our responsibility, and He shows how He uses even the evil purposes of men to further His good purposes, not only in redemption, but even in the individual lives of His people. It’s almost like God establishing a barrier whereby we can’t possibly go on and misinterpret the rest of the Bible, having studied Genesis where His foreordination, His providence and His foreknowledge is so clear.
Here we see God’s hand of providence guiding Joseph’s life and by the hatred of His brothers.
After Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, the Midianites took him down to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites. Potiphar is called "the captain of the bodyguard," which means he was the chief executioner or chief of police. In other words, he had charge of security of the palace, with the power of life and death, under the supervision of Pharaoh.
For a moment, try to put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. Let us assume you are seventeen years old. You are the favored son in a family of twelve sons. Your father had chosen you to be the head of the family and he had given you a beautiful robe to symbolize this fact. You are on the path to power, influence and prominence in your family. Then, in a moment of time, everything is gone. You are stripped of your coat. You are betrayed by people who should have loved you. You are separated from your father. You are sold as a slave and carried off into a strange land. Imagine the humility of being examined and sold in a slave auction. Imagine the lies Satan must have told him. Imagine how Joseph must have felt as the camels crested the last hill and the wonders of ancient Egypt spread out before him. It must have been a great culture shock to this young man from the country. On the surface it seemed that circumstances could not have been worse for young Joseph. In truth, those difficult days were mere stepping stones along the path to greater glory. It may have appeared that all Joseph’s dreams had been shattered, but the God Who gave the dreams in the first place was working behind the scenes to ensure that they would all be fulfilled in His time.
Now, it was not a coincidence that Joseph ended up in this man’s home. Without Joseph's knowledge, the Lord had sent him to Potiphar’s house to prepare him for the important task which lies ahead, that of serving as the second highest official in the land of Egypt. But in order for this to happen, Joseph first had to learn the language, culture, business, and politics of Egypt. And it was not handed to him on a silver platter. He had to get up early and stay up late to do his job and also learn the Egyptian ways.
We can determine a sequence of events that culminated in Joseph’s promotion to the second highest position of power in Potiphar’s household. Joseph was a shepherd, so it would have been natural for him to begin his "career" in the fields of Potiphar. His master would first have observed his success in the fields. Good reports reached the ears of Potiphar, who then brought him into his house. What a lesson to be faithful in little.
What no one could see in all this trouble surrounding young Joseph’s life is stated clearly in Gen. 39:2. In that verse, the Bible says, "And the Lord was with Joseph." I want us to learn the great truth that our God is always with His people to see them through in their trials; to accomplish His plans in their lives; and to use them point a lost world to Himself. As we study these truths, please keep in mind that what the Lord did for Joseph, He will also do for you. The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Thus we are to understand that at the most uncertain time of Joseph’s life, when he could see nothing of God, the covenant-keeping-God of Israel was at work to effect His covenant promises through Joseph. In the same way, you and I must understand that as we walk with the Lord, He too will be with us. Even though the circumstances of life may not seem to go our way or as expected, God is in control. He will orchestrate His purposes behind the scenes. We can lean on Him. He will be faithful to us. As I have told you before, God’s purpose in our trials is not to harm us, but to develop us. We can trust Him to protect us and grow us amid the hardships of this life. Our God is in control!
In chapter 39, verse 3, something profound takes place. Moses writes: "Now his master saw that the LORD was with him and how the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand." God’s blessing upon Joseph was not ordinary prosperity — it was phenomenal and unexpected, because even Potiphar had to admit that the Lord was with Joseph and was making him to prosper. Imagine how strong Joseph’s testimony had to be for Potiphar to recognize and admire Joseph's character and attributed it to God rather than Joseph. Though Potiphar was a pagan, but Joseph’s life was so uncommon and supernatural that Potiphar had to sit up and observed all that Joseph did.
A lesson that can be learned from the life of Joseph is that God’s blessings are not dependent upon the circumstances but upon one’s relationship. Joseph was brought to the place that was within the location of God’s purpose. God was there with him all of the time.
A person can have the blessings and the prosperity that comes from God by being faithful wherever that person is. I am constantly encouraging people to "bloom where they are planted." Sometimes people forfeit God’s best because of discontent. They think that they can never have the blessings of God right where they are. The proportion of blessings that you receive is proportionate to one’s faithfulness to the Lord. God wants to prosper you wherever you are. This may not base in your personal finances. Prosperity and blessings from the Lord can come in so many different packages. There are so many who are disillusioned in thinking that prosperity is only measured with money. Not so! Joseph was blessed of the Lord because of his relationship to the Lord. He also was under the covenant blessings of the Lord. We can be under the blessings that comes from His grace to us.
Some might have looked at Joseph’s advancement in the home of Potiphar as "good luck". They see a young man like Joseph and he has some bad breaks, soon afterwards things turn around for him. Things start heading the other way for good. People look at that and they say, "He is a lucky Man or His luck is shinning." I want you to know that "luck" had nothing to do with Joseph’s success. In fact, there is no such thing as "luck". Luck is not for the children of the living God! Joseph prospered because God blessed him. Joseph prospered because God saw in Joseph a man He could trust to do His will.
Conclusively, what I want you to see here is this: Joseph was in a bad situation, but he still lived a life that was blessed by the Lord. Joseph was one of several men in the Old Testament who learned to lean upon the Lord and grew in their faith despite terrible difficulties in their lives. He could have become bitter because his brothers sold him into slavery. He could have become lazy in his work but he did not. He works while no one is watching. I am sure that his life was a life of endless drudgery and service, but he was faithful to his tasks. Someone once said, "A Christian is one who is completely fearless, continually cheerful, and constantly in trouble!" Joseph’s life illustrated this saying exactly; however, Joseph was always able to triumph over adversity. Joseph is a picture of faithfulness both to God and man in bleak circumstances. His character caused him to be faithful to his God and to his human master. As a result, God blessed his life and his work.
Here are two thoughts I do not want you to miss:
Just because you are going through trials and problems does not mean that God is not blessing you. You might not see Him moving in your life, but just trust Him and in His time, He will manifest His presence, His glory and His power.
Joseph made the best out of a terrible situation. He demonstrated a proper attitude in the midst of his trials. So should we! We must have the courage to do the right thing. The secret to happiness in hard times is how you respond to what is happening to you. Ninety percent of living a joyful life is simply responding well to your trials. Life is what you make it!
There is no greater encouragement for the believer than just knowing that the Lord will neither leave nor forsake us. The presence of the Lord should sustain us and keep us from really being lonely. The three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had the Lord with them in the fiery furnace. David faced Goliath and said, "for the battle is the Lords" which signified that the Lord was with him. The Lord was with the children of Israel at the parting of the red sea. The same GOD yesterday, is with YOU today, and will be with YOU forever. GOD IS WITH YOU ALWAYS - Amen!!!
As you read and apply this message to your heart the Almighty God will richly bless you. Remain blessed in the LORD. Keep on reading and following the LORD, JESUS CHRIST...from Evangelist Chikadibia S. F. Emenike, http://fasuchem.blogspot.com/, http://fasuchem.wordpress.com/, http://fasuchem.livejournal.com/, http://fasuchem.tumblr.com/, http://fasuchem.blog.com/, http://fasuchem.tblog.com/, http://my.opera.com/fasuchem/blog/, http://twitter.com/fasuchem/, http://facebook.com/fasuchem/, http://fasuchem.stumbleupon.com/, etc.
God is with us always, even unto the end of the world. As it is written, "LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD." Beloved, If you won't remember anything else remember that GOD IS WITH YOU ALWAYS. When Jesus says, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, He means it. He is God who is a "being with." He is with us and we are with him; He is within us and we are within Him: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, always, until the end of the age. Our God is not a God who is far away, sitting on a throne in heaven somewhere; our God is a God with us always.
Over and over with each of the main characters of the first book of the Bible, God sets forth His providential control, His foreknowledge and His predestination of everything. God walks us step by step through the doctrine of providence. He shows how it relates to our responsibility, and He shows how He uses even the evil purposes of men to further His good purposes, not only in redemption, but even in the individual lives of His people. It’s almost like God establishing a barrier whereby we can’t possibly go on and misinterpret the rest of the Bible, having studied Genesis where His foreordination, His providence and His foreknowledge is so clear.
Here we see God’s hand of providence guiding Joseph’s life and by the hatred of His brothers.
After Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, the Midianites took him down to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites. Potiphar is called "the captain of the bodyguard," which means he was the chief executioner or chief of police. In other words, he had charge of security of the palace, with the power of life and death, under the supervision of Pharaoh.
For a moment, try to put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. Let us assume you are seventeen years old. You are the favored son in a family of twelve sons. Your father had chosen you to be the head of the family and he had given you a beautiful robe to symbolize this fact. You are on the path to power, influence and prominence in your family. Then, in a moment of time, everything is gone. You are stripped of your coat. You are betrayed by people who should have loved you. You are separated from your father. You are sold as a slave and carried off into a strange land. Imagine the humility of being examined and sold in a slave auction. Imagine the lies Satan must have told him. Imagine how Joseph must have felt as the camels crested the last hill and the wonders of ancient Egypt spread out before him. It must have been a great culture shock to this young man from the country. On the surface it seemed that circumstances could not have been worse for young Joseph. In truth, those difficult days were mere stepping stones along the path to greater glory. It may have appeared that all Joseph’s dreams had been shattered, but the God Who gave the dreams in the first place was working behind the scenes to ensure that they would all be fulfilled in His time.
Now, it was not a coincidence that Joseph ended up in this man’s home. Without Joseph's knowledge, the Lord had sent him to Potiphar’s house to prepare him for the important task which lies ahead, that of serving as the second highest official in the land of Egypt. But in order for this to happen, Joseph first had to learn the language, culture, business, and politics of Egypt. And it was not handed to him on a silver platter. He had to get up early and stay up late to do his job and also learn the Egyptian ways.
We can determine a sequence of events that culminated in Joseph’s promotion to the second highest position of power in Potiphar’s household. Joseph was a shepherd, so it would have been natural for him to begin his "career" in the fields of Potiphar. His master would first have observed his success in the fields. Good reports reached the ears of Potiphar, who then brought him into his house. What a lesson to be faithful in little.
What no one could see in all this trouble surrounding young Joseph’s life is stated clearly in Gen. 39:2. In that verse, the Bible says, "And the Lord was with Joseph." I want us to learn the great truth that our God is always with His people to see them through in their trials; to accomplish His plans in their lives; and to use them point a lost world to Himself. As we study these truths, please keep in mind that what the Lord did for Joseph, He will also do for you. The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Thus we are to understand that at the most uncertain time of Joseph’s life, when he could see nothing of God, the covenant-keeping-God of Israel was at work to effect His covenant promises through Joseph. In the same way, you and I must understand that as we walk with the Lord, He too will be with us. Even though the circumstances of life may not seem to go our way or as expected, God is in control. He will orchestrate His purposes behind the scenes. We can lean on Him. He will be faithful to us. As I have told you before, God’s purpose in our trials is not to harm us, but to develop us. We can trust Him to protect us and grow us amid the hardships of this life. Our God is in control!
In chapter 39, verse 3, something profound takes place. Moses writes: "Now his master saw that the LORD was with him and how the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand." God’s blessing upon Joseph was not ordinary prosperity — it was phenomenal and unexpected, because even Potiphar had to admit that the Lord was with Joseph and was making him to prosper. Imagine how strong Joseph’s testimony had to be for Potiphar to recognize and admire Joseph's character and attributed it to God rather than Joseph. Though Potiphar was a pagan, but Joseph’s life was so uncommon and supernatural that Potiphar had to sit up and observed all that Joseph did.
A lesson that can be learned from the life of Joseph is that God’s blessings are not dependent upon the circumstances but upon one’s relationship. Joseph was brought to the place that was within the location of God’s purpose. God was there with him all of the time.
A person can have the blessings and the prosperity that comes from God by being faithful wherever that person is. I am constantly encouraging people to "bloom where they are planted." Sometimes people forfeit God’s best because of discontent. They think that they can never have the blessings of God right where they are. The proportion of blessings that you receive is proportionate to one’s faithfulness to the Lord. God wants to prosper you wherever you are. This may not base in your personal finances. Prosperity and blessings from the Lord can come in so many different packages. There are so many who are disillusioned in thinking that prosperity is only measured with money. Not so! Joseph was blessed of the Lord because of his relationship to the Lord. He also was under the covenant blessings of the Lord. We can be under the blessings that comes from His grace to us.
Some might have looked at Joseph’s advancement in the home of Potiphar as "good luck". They see a young man like Joseph and he has some bad breaks, soon afterwards things turn around for him. Things start heading the other way for good. People look at that and they say, "He is a lucky Man or His luck is shinning." I want you to know that "luck" had nothing to do with Joseph’s success. In fact, there is no such thing as "luck". Luck is not for the children of the living God! Joseph prospered because God blessed him. Joseph prospered because God saw in Joseph a man He could trust to do His will.
Conclusively, what I want you to see here is this: Joseph was in a bad situation, but he still lived a life that was blessed by the Lord. Joseph was one of several men in the Old Testament who learned to lean upon the Lord and grew in their faith despite terrible difficulties in their lives. He could have become bitter because his brothers sold him into slavery. He could have become lazy in his work but he did not. He works while no one is watching. I am sure that his life was a life of endless drudgery and service, but he was faithful to his tasks. Someone once said, "A Christian is one who is completely fearless, continually cheerful, and constantly in trouble!" Joseph’s life illustrated this saying exactly; however, Joseph was always able to triumph over adversity. Joseph is a picture of faithfulness both to God and man in bleak circumstances. His character caused him to be faithful to his God and to his human master. As a result, God blessed his life and his work.
Here are two thoughts I do not want you to miss:
Just because you are going through trials and problems does not mean that God is not blessing you. You might not see Him moving in your life, but just trust Him and in His time, He will manifest His presence, His glory and His power.
Joseph made the best out of a terrible situation. He demonstrated a proper attitude in the midst of his trials. So should we! We must have the courage to do the right thing. The secret to happiness in hard times is how you respond to what is happening to you. Ninety percent of living a joyful life is simply responding well to your trials. Life is what you make it!
There is no greater encouragement for the believer than just knowing that the Lord will neither leave nor forsake us. The presence of the Lord should sustain us and keep us from really being lonely. The three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had the Lord with them in the fiery furnace. David faced Goliath and said, "for the battle is the Lords" which signified that the Lord was with him. The Lord was with the children of Israel at the parting of the red sea. The same GOD yesterday, is with YOU today, and will be with YOU forever. GOD IS WITH YOU ALWAYS - Amen!!!
As you read and apply this message to your heart the Almighty God will richly bless you. Remain blessed in the LORD. Keep on reading and following the LORD, JESUS CHRIST...from Evangelist Chikadibia S. F. Emenike, http://fasuchem.blogspot.com/, http://fasuchem.wordpress.com/, http://fasuchem.livejournal.com/, http://fasuchem.tumblr.com/, http://fasuchem.blog.com/, http://fasuchem.tblog.com/, http://my.opera.com/fasuchem/blog/, http://twitter.com/fasuchem/, http://facebook.com/fasuchem/, http://fasuchem.stumbleupon.com/, etc.
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